There is a plethora of unknown bands today making some very special music. By the same token, there are very well known artists making terrible music. Why are the horrible bands making out so well these days? I guess that’s the question of the millennium for many music fans-- fans of great music that is done with integrity and passion, that is. When Radiohead released Kid A, just about every Radiohead fan alive was thinking, “What the hell is this?” What they didn’t realize at the time was the same thing that makes a lot of artists very special. They were making music for themselves first. It was up to the listener to decide how it would register in his or her own mind. With that said, it’s universally known that Radiohead did the right thing artistically by moving forward at its own speed.

This past year, Hood released an album that is very similar to Kid A and Amnesiac. If you are a fan of either of the aforementioned albums, search your local record stores or online vendor for Cold House. You will not be let down by the hard work you put forth to get this music. Coming from Leeds, England, this sextet generates many musical styles. Sometimes it works, but other times it becomes quite challenging.

Cold House opens with the almost typical 2001 sound of blips, scratches, and bleeps. Slowly but surely a beat materializes from the back of the woods. Although this is nothing new, it’s a great song. Additionally, it has a guest appearance by two members of the postmodern, psychedelic hip-hop outfit known as cLOUDDEAD. Who would have known that Dose One and why? would work so well with a band like this? “You Show No Emotion At All” and “Branches Bare” are two of the more emotional tracks of the album. They also happen to be the best tracks. “Enemy of Time” is the only song here that could even be compared to the older style of Hood. For those not familiar with Hood’s “older style,” please do some research. Hood has been around since 1992 and has been through several changes as well. With the release of Cold House, I believe Hood have released their best material to date.

It’s truly a blessing to have the Internet so readily available these days. It allows people like me to share my opinions about artists like Hood. Without exposure, some bands would simply go unnoticed. Additionally, I don’t agree with the choices the RIAA has made in attempting to ban the use of online music sharing. They claim it takes money out of the artists' pockets. Excuse me, but when was the last time you saw a hideous episode of MTV Cribs where someone was living in an apartment? Exactly. Had it not been for these so-called “thieves of the artists” file-sharing systems, I would have never heard of a band like Hood. I would have missed out on an incredible piece of music that is ten times more important than anything you’ll ever see on MTV or VH 1. They Removed All Trace That Anything Had Ever Happened Here 2. You Show No Emotion At All 3. Branches Bare 4. Enemy of Time 5. The Winter Hit Hard 6. I Can't Find My Brittle Youth 7. This Is What We Do To Sell Out(s) 8. The River Curls Around the Town 9. Lines Low to Frozen Ground 10. You're Worth the Whole World